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Monday, September 24, 2012

1000th Man of Arang

I wanted to wait with The Thousandth Man when some dramas end, but no, my evil friend I. said the first episode was funny, so... Plus, my sluttygreasy baby Wuhyeonnie is in it, so I planned to watch it, but was unsure about his acting. And I didn't want to cringe everytime I'd see him. He's not an actor, that's a fact, but he's cute. I'm not cringing (this is biased nuna speaking, don't pay any attention). And he's in nuna-love relationship. I'm on board!

The Thousandth Man won me over from the first episode (oh yeah, what a surprise!). It's a mixture of fluffy comedy with some serious undertones. It seems as if writer had a problem with human society. The deep disappointment with human nature and relationships is visible. Being a gumiho is no better, though. This world is also ruthless and brutal.

This aspect reminds me a bit of Akutagawa's Kappa in terms of portraying both worlds. None of them is perfect, there are no clear rules stating your prey is yours only (or a man).

Gumiho strive to become human but when they do, it's not unicorns and rainbows at all. Humans fear and despise gumiho, trying to kill them. As for me, the scene in restroom when younger sister yelled at her eonni calling her animal was a really hard one.

Wuhyeonnie, this nuna is sorry for neglecting you lately!!*but to my defense: Dongwoo*

For those suffering from Answer 1997 withdrawal^^

Also, I know this won't please many people, but I find Hyomin one of them good acting idols, period. I liked her in Gyebaek, I like her here too. From my latest experiences and what my friends are saying, there are girls who clinge to guys even though guys don't like them. The mechanism is simple - they think perseverance and devotion can win guy's heart. It's a pity not love, but no one tells them that.

Maybe this is why we have here 2 (or maybe 4) lovely love-lines. Wuhyeon's (he has the same name in drama, don't hate me) love is pure, naive and honest, yet his object is a person who embraced "human love" with all its night-stands, schemings and dirty tricks (and she's older by, pff, 1000 years). Contrary to her, Mi Jin finds her dead husband in another man, and despite loving him, she's hurting him. I really wonder how all this will end. Really.

And Arang. We've been discussing this lately someplace else and I rambled a bit about it, regardless of every drama else. I do enjoy this drama lately, swallowing all my words back about Junki's acting (see, I can admit it), he's well balanced here. Anyway, that's not important right now. For once, I'm also happy we have a drama dealing with ghosts and Otherworld, since it's my fieldwork, mehehe.

Few thoughts follow.

In ep 11 & 12 we got to know a little bit more about the whole background. So, Mu Yeon was banished from Heavens, she came to earth and became a demon who, apparently, can possess a human body. More, she's powerful enough to create the spell destroying the spirit. This is the reason why the house is desolate - no spirits around. Her victims also receive spell sign that destroys the spirit. Actually, not entirely destroying but "locking out" as I understand it. *that's actually quite an interesting aspect for me*

This may be the explanation why no victim harrasses her, even though they died prematurely and with a certain grudge. And here is where Arang slips out from the net, looks like she wasn't given this spell when she was killed the first time because she's been roaming this world for 3 years. Why?

OK, where were we... oh, ghosts. Arang was killed for the second time, but luckily enough, you can't really kill a ghost, so she came back to life on her own, (re)experiencing the horror of dying moment. She died once again protecting the shaman, not important now.

The one who killed her for the second time, and I believe for the first time as well, was Joo Wol, terribly messed up kid, entangled in a horrible spider web of guilt, obedience and hatred. He's the adopted son of Nobleman Choi. And here we got to the core of it. Nobleman Choi's wife has the face of our Magistrate's mother he's so deperate to find. My bet is on using only her body only by Mu Yeon, and the real mother being dead.
Whatever the reason, bloodthirsty Mu Yeol demands virgins and Joo Wol gives her that, so she can fuel her energy.

We also know now that the fan that uri Magistrate holds close to him, belongs to Heavenly God Yoo Seungho. When Eun-oh (Magistrate) mother was cussing passing Nobleman Choi, the boy was on the verge of dying. This scene made me doubtful of her feelings. We were shown before that she fainted thinking of her revenge, not paying attention to her son close to her. My hit would be - she was an extremely easy prey for hungry Mu Yeon. So, little boy, on the verge of dying was rescued by our Heavenly Yoo. My guess would be also that our smart Magistrate was also "resurrected" for a purpose. This purpose would be catching Mu Yeol. Meaning - he died. The touch of Heavenly God Yoo left his mark - he can see ghosts.

And that also would broaden Heavenly Yoo's plans, making him to just look like if he's playing around, but in fact scheming and planning.

Arang's desperation was used as one of the means to track down and destroy Mu Yeol. Eun-oh plays a similar role. And since he confessed his feelings (to the dead girl, mind you!), the love-line gets a bit complicated here.

The most satisfactory solution would be: Eun-oh is - in fact - dead, but acting on the same means as Arang. Arang was given 2 months (3 full moons, but that was subtle subterfuge) to find out the truth behind her death. If she can o it - she'll go to Heaven. If not - to Hell. Since she's dead and there's nothing to do about it, I presume she'll go to Heaven. What with uri Magistrate? If he's dead, and his task is done here (tracking down Mu Yeol?), he can be awarded Heaven, where he can live happily ever after (for the first time in Kdrama history!!) with Arang. But if he's not dead... Oh well, we still have 8 episodes left.

And just a small clarification: by saying Magistrate is "the same" as Arang, I don't mean he's a ghost. It simply means he "experiences the
same ontological status" as Arang.
What I wrote on D-A (jeez, quoting myself, I'm low):

You know people who claim nowadays they "saw the light at the end of
tunnel" and had clinical death? Their heart stopped and docs pronounced
them dead but their heartbeat returned, right? So some people say that
they can communicate with ghosts etc.
From the methodological point of view they live between worlds, sharing both aspects.
This is what I meant, and I think uri Magistrate is someone along this.

Let's hope it won't turn into Twin Peaks famous joke ("Hi, Diane, I would've solved Laura Palmer's murder long tme ago if writers remembered what they wrote before").

Also, let's hope they won't make such heartbreaking ending like in Rooftop Prince either.